A fan was killed Friday night at a Dead & Company concert in New York City after multiple witnesses say he allegedly accidentally fell off a balcony, down to his death.
The man, who was later identified as 46-year-old Ian Crystal by local NYC media outlets, was apparently attending the band’s outdoor concert at Citi Field, the stadium that typically hosts the New York Mets of Major League Baseball.
According to the New York Daily News and other local reports, Crystal was seen “accidentally backflipping off a balcony” in an upper seating area of the stadium. His fall took him more than 40 feet straight down, onto the concrete floor below. Emergency medical personnel arrived quickly and transported him to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, but he was pronounced dead once there.
Crystal, who is reportedly listed on LinkedIn as the co-founder and CEO of New York City-based Evolutions Spirits, had apparently been attending the concert with his brother when the tragedy occurred.
A concert spokesperson recounted the incident to CNN over the weekend, explaining that police received their first 9-1-1 call about the incident just after 9:00 p.m. local time. Eyewitnesses say the band started playing at around 7:30 p.m., and Crystal’s apparent fall may have been during an intermission period.
The concert spokesperson explained:
“Upon arrival, officers observed EMS personnel attending to a 46-year-old male who was suffering from injuries consistent with a fall from an elevated position.”
Several witnesses told the New York Post that they saw the man later identified as Crystal “flip” over the railing before falling to his death.
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One witness said:
“He was unresponsive and he hit the ground head first. There was no way he survived. He was way too drunk. You could smell it. His brother came downstairs and found out he jumped… His brother was with him. He was crying.”
Oh, goodness…
And another added:
“We saw someone fall from this ledge. We see something fall and we heard him hit the ground. It’s terrible. I wish I didn’t see it happen … It kinda killed the mood.”
The Mets were out of town on Friday, playing a weekend road series in southern California against the Los Angeles Dodgers — hence Citi Field’s availability for a concert. John Mayer (pictured above in a clip from the actual show on Friday night at Citi Field) joined the group for the event, singing and playing guitar throughout.
Nevertheless, a Mets spokesperson also released a statement about the tragedy which took place at their stadium, adding:
“We are aware of a tragic incident which sadly resulted in a fatality [on Friday] night. Our deepest and heartfelt condolences go out to the attendee’s loved ones.”
We, too, send our love and condolence out to Crystal’s family, friends, and loved ones.
What a shocking, unexpected, and horrific situation.
Rest In Peace…
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